Name and Location

The New Light House, also known locally as the Dubrayapet Lighthouse, is a small modern navigational beacon located in the Dubrayapet neighbourhood of Puducherry, India. The address is "New Light House, Dubrayapet, Puducherry 605004, India". The coordinates are latitude 11.9165751 N, longitude 79.8308269 E.

Construction and History

The exact construction date of the New Light House is not officially recorded, but local enquiries suggest it was erected in the late 2000s to supplement the older lighthouse on the promenade. It serves as an important daymark and light source for inshore craft operating along the east coast.

Architecture and Materials

The structure consists of a slender, cylindrical tower mounted on a low concrete plinth. The tower is approximately 6 meters above ground level and 11 meters above mean sea level. The construction is made of reinforced concrete with an integral gallery and flat-roofed lantern housing.

Light and Navigation

The light characteristic is Fl(2) W 10s – two white flashes every 10 seconds, with a range of about 5 nautical miles in clear weather. It also serves as a daymark, visible to small craft by day due to its contrasting white and red paint scheme. The chart reference for the lighthouse is printed on Indian Hydrographic Department chart IN5001 (Pondicherry to Cuddalore coastal section).

Accessibility and Visiting

The site stands in a densely built residential area, making it accessible only from the street. Visitors can view the tower from outside, but entry is restricted; there is no visitor centre. The nearest bus stop is Dubrayapet Station at the junction of Theru Street and Church Street.

Notable Views and Landscape

The surroundings are an urban coastal fringe with fishing boats pulled ashore nearby. Coconut trees dot the edge of the beach about 200 meters to the east, providing a panoramic sightline toward the Bay of Bengal and the Puducherry Promenade Lighthouse visible on the skyline to the north.

Anecdotes and Folklore

According to local fishermen, the light helped reduce groundings of small boats along this previously unlit stretch in the monsoon months. The end of the post of a resident caretaker with automation in recent years also brought an end to the rotating team of two port watchmen maintaining the lamp.

Technical and Operational Details

The beacon is fully automated, solar-powered with battery backup, and has a photo-electric sensor for dusk-to-dawn operation. It is managed by the Directorate of Ports and Inland Water Transport, Government of Puducherry.

Further Information

For further information on the New Light House, refer to Indian National Hydrographic Office notices to mariners and coastal navigation charts IN5001, as well as facility registers from the Government of Puducherry.